"Top 5" High Style / Low Maintenance Tips

united states

April 09, 2007

Wine Country, CaliforniaEvery Year: 1998 to presentThis is one of my favorite places to relax and unwind. Life is so simple with the best vineyards, world-class restaurants and town folk all passionate about food and wine. I f I needed a day of relaxation or needed to see the sun, would head up here with friends from SF for the day or weekend.

Top 5 Days

Bike through the vineyards - Rent bikes from downtown Sonoma or Calistoga (they will have suggested route maps) for an easy pedal through to 5 vineyards. Really, it is flat, so you don't have to be in great shape and you'll burn off those cab calories.

Massage and Mud Bath in Calistoga - Indian Springs is so retro and coo. The pool is warm year round.

Vineyard to vineyard with a driver - pack a picnic lunch from Oakville Grocery Store and relax and do winetasting all day. Set up a couple of full tours at the small wineries and just pop into others. Some favorites are Clos Pegas to view art, Benziger (not Beringer) for truck tour on the growing process, Round Pond is amazing and make sure to hit one of the sparkling vineyards. Stay clear of the really big vineyards.

Stroll through Healdsburg - this is a darling town, then head to the JimTown Store.

Golf or lay by the pool - the spas and service everywhere here are great.

Top 5 Foodie Finds

Bistro Jeanty - One of my world favorites! A darling French restaurant where you can sit outside and enjoy dinner followed by wine and cheese.

Redwood - in Yountville but you almost feel like you are in NYC. Awesome, hip pizza joint. Amazing meatballs and buffalo motzerella.

Bouchon - Oysters and crisp whites. Or mussels and fries.

Taylor's Refresher - Best burgers and malts around town.

Round Pond Winery - Go for the most amazing $25 tasting on a deck overlooking the vineyards and get 3 little fab appetizers.

Top 5 High Style, Low Maintenance Hotels

Hotel Healdsburg - very hip, no country frills here.

The Kenwood Inn - I adore the Italian-style pool and rooms. This is away from it all in Sonoma.

Solage - Amazing food, great pool, workout classes included. And they have 2 bikes at every cottage. SO cute.

Bardessono - Green, hip in Younteville. Pair this with French Laundry and you've got a Bucket List!

The Farmhouse Inn - This is my friend Amy's favorite, so it can't be wrong. In Sonoma.

Top 5 Misses

Snobby, cigar-smoking East-coast blokes.

The heat - it is a scorcher here in the summer

Expensive wine tastings. If you buy a bottle, most places won't make you pay.

If you aren't a foodie or wine fan - then pass on wine country. If you think you have the potential to be a foodie or wine lover, then I promise you will be after a few days here.

Top 5 Tips

Book hotels and restaurants before - the great little hotels and eateries book early.

Experiment - try new foods and wines. I spent a week here learning and asking everything I could about pairing cheese and wine. Basically, I learned it is all good. ;) Oh, and it is fattening... 12 pounds later.

Engage waiters, bartenders, sommeliers - they live for food and wine. Tell them what you like, what you are eating, price range and ask for recommendations. This is how I've discovered my all-time favorite wine: Hourglass.

Share tastings - most places will let you share a tasting with your friend. This will also help you avoid the mid-day hangover.

There's more to wine country than Napa - I prefer Sonoma, Healdsburg and Calistoga. Not near as touristy.

Santa FeMy sister Lisa, her husband and her darling twins lives in Albuquerque, so I have been able to spend a lot of time here. It is unlike anything else in the US - it has a wonderful spiritual aura, amazing art and incredible New Mexican food.

Top 5 Days

Shop the Plaza for jewelry, art - Tne Native American Indians are here every day, but more on Saturdays. Check out the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.

Canyon Road - the 5th Avenue of unique art galleries and boutiques. There is wonderful Native American art, but all other styles too. Start from the bottom of Canyon Road, working towards the top, where most of the great restaurants are. End your day with dinner at Geronimo's.

Nedra Matteucci gallery on Paseo de Peralta - inside exhibits plus lovely grounds with water, fountains, statues - a fun place to take kids, as there are many life-size statues

Rancho de Chimayo - My little brother Paul's favorite. Mmmm... chips and salsa, margaritas and chicken sopapillas. And go to the little church there. Make it a day and drive the high road to Taos, stop at Chimayo en route to Bandelier.

Santa Fe School of Cooking - take a cooking class

Pasqual's - near the Plaza. Always busy, so make reservations, or sit at the communal table - great New Mexican food

DonGaspar Inn - my folks stayed here and had a lovely casita with a private, patio and a bedroom, bath, kitchen, large living room, and a small front porch. It's a bed and breakfast with NM breakfasts - anything from tamales, chili rellenos, fresh fruits, muffins. The Inn sits on property close to the Plaza that had once been a large farm with an orchard, so it's lush and beautiful... and only about 5 blocks from the Plaza.

Rent a House in Taos - Close by and great if you want to ski/snowboard.

Inn at the Anasazi - lovely, the nicest in town, but still casual. Kivas in every room.

El Farolito Bed and Breakfast Inn - My sister and her husband always stay here - a great high-style B&B. Within walking distance of the Plaza.

Top 5 Misses

Celebrations Restaurant - We had a hilariously horrible family meal here.

Casinos - d-e-p-r-e-s-s-i-n-g.

Dry, mountain air - I always feel exhausted the first couple days I am here. Take lots of moisturizers.

Foliage - Sante Fe has lots of trees, but if you head further south, it is dry and I miss the trees.

Overpricedstores - the clientele here is high rollers, so food, art, etc... can be very expensive.

Red or Green??? - this is the big question everyone will ask when you order food. They make their own chili sauces. It is like asking red or white when referring to wine. I love em both, to I get my sopapillas with split sauce.

Read and understand Indian History - It is such a sad history. When you are here, the environment is so unique that almost feel like you are outside the US.

Get out of Sante Fe for a day - head south of Santa Fe, Highway 14, or the Turquoise Trail, beautiful scenery and mountains, vistas, and the little artist's colony of Madrid - old mining town - great galleries and shops.

April 01, 2007

I spent a year and a half here, and know Venice and Santa Monica really well. I loved my little Spanish bungalow in Venice - so I didn't leave my oasis much.

Top 5 Days

Hike back to the Malibu "secret spot" - Definitely get to the beaches of Malibu, as they are so much more beautiful than Venice and Santa Monica. Directions to the best spot that my little sister Meggi revealed to me: Head north on the Pacific Highway/Highway 1 to the northern most part of Malibu. You'll pass Geoffrey's and take a left at the Sunset restaurant. Head into the parking lot to the left and go all the way down til you see a rock climbing wall. Take a stroll through the sand and hike back as far as you can go on the rocks. Sit, relax and enjoy the thunderous waves.

Getty Museum - This is an amazing view of the city and the building is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Richard Meier's modern, stark-white design contrasts the Renaissance art inside. Take a tour of the gardens and sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.

Main Street Farmer's Market - This is on Santa Monica's Main Street, around Ocean street. Get there early on Sunday morning and enjoy the local organic produce. All the local restaurants have booths. Try fresh-squeezed orange juice and a crepe. Spend the afternoon on the Santa Monica beach.

Bike Ride the Venice/Santa Monica Strand - Rent a bike in Venice and ride up and down the boardwalk. Check out the most eclectic mix of folks you have ever seen: oiled-up muscle builders, strung-out homeless, tree-hugging yogis and has-been actresses.

Stroll Abbott Kinney - This may be one of the hippest blocks in the world. Stroll through the vintage shops, stop at Taco Bus for a taco and go to Jin Patisserie for lovely tea and amazing chocolate desserts.

5 High Style, Low Maintenance Hotels

Friend's House - Everything here is pretty expensive... stay at a friend's pad. People have big places here, unlike NY or SF, so someone is bound to have a extra bedroom.

Viceroy - Great style, great poolside in Santa Monica. A great way to check out the Hollywood scene. You're bound to see a star, or at least a lot of great-looking wait staff on their way to stardom. The scene at night is fun, and if you stay here you can actually get a poolside cabana.

Oceania - A darling Melrose Place-style hotel in Santa Monica. A great place to stay if you have an extended visit, as the rooms are big and comfy.

W Westwood - This is better than the average W because it has a very cool 50s style outdoor pool. Tucked away in cute neighborhood, though nothing is too close by.

Ambrose - In Santa Monica, but not right on the beach. You get a nicer hotel, without the insane prices. They have a vintage taxi that will take you around the city.

Foodie Finds

Hama Sushi - In Venice. It may look a bit scary when you walk in cause it isn't fancy. Great sushi and a fun energetic local place.

AOC - Gorgeous tapas and wine list in a fancy bar-like atmosphere. Get the figs and sit at the bar and a hot bartender will over serve you. On 3rd Street in Hollywood.

Little Door - Great fish and steak in Hollywood. This is where the real deals really get done in Hollywood, but it isn't over the top. Great service in a delightful outside setting.

Lilly's - On restaurant row (Abbott Kinney) in Venice. Sit in the back garden. If Lilly's is full, try Joe's or Primativo nearby. Follow up with a glass of wine at The Other Room down the street. If the line is long, they let in folks with Venice ID first. So unlike anywhere else in LA, where only a $600 bottle of vodka or star will get you a table.

5 Misses

Nightclubs - Go to one like LAX only if you have a VIP table. Such a ridiculous scene just to have a good drink. And if your visions of LA are hot starts in nightclubs, then stay home and watch E! You rarely see real stars out - well, maybe Tara Reid or Paris.

Hollywood - There isn't really much to see.

Downtown - Just a huge sprawling mass of buildings. No heart of the city and no NY-style vibe.

Santa Monica Boardwalk Amusement Park - Crowded, dirty, boring.

Beverly Hills Home Tour - This will make you never want to come to LA again, but is a hilarious way to hear stories about all the stars. There are tours leaving all day from the Chinese Theater. You won't see any stars, but lots of paparazzi stalking stars homes. Do it if you love the stars.

5 Tips

Avoid the 405 - Parking lot and so frustrating.

Rent a Car with a GPS - The town is so confusing and one wrong turn could mean extra hours on the highway.

Swimming - You can't swim in the beaches most of the year cause it is too cold. If the weather is good, go up to Malibu, as the beaches "seem" cleaner.

Hike - Most people don't think of mountain hiking in LA, but the Santa Monica mountains are so lovely and a great way to see the city.

Decide on one area of town to explore - The town is huge and it can take hours to get from one side to the other. I recommend sticking on the West side.

March 25, 2007

This is my town with some of the best people in the world. I LOVE it and could fill the entire blog just with foodie recommendations.

Top 5 Days

Hike and Oysters – Drive up to Point Reyes and take the hike back to a tiny lake with a rope swing. Gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean along the hike. Drive a bit further to Tony’s Oyster Shack for beer in a frostie mug and BBQ oysters on Tomales Bay.

Glide Church – Get there early for the best gospel music ever. This is a non-denominational church that welcomes anyone – and trust me, there is every walk of life here. Listening to this choir would convert any atheist.

Dominos at the Ramp – Take your friends and some bones to a Sunday afternoon at the Ramp. This is a little bar on the water overlooking big shipping containers. Not fancy at all. The salsa dancing starts at 5. Coronas and bloody marys flowing all day long.

Golden Gate Park – Check out the recently remodeled De Young Museum for Asian art, rollerblade and go to the Japanese Tea Gardens. Try to go on Sunday afternoon to watch the Roller Disco group, let by the Sheik of Blade. This guy wears a silver turban, brings a huge speaker system to the park and plays old school hip hop while a loyal crowd roller blades. The best free entertainment in town.

Steep Ravine Hike - best workout on Mount Tam. Loosen up those burning legs with a glass of wine at the Mountain Lodge.

High Style, Low Maintenance Hotels

Hotel Vitale – Very simple in a great location right across from the Ferry Building

Waters Edge – Take a ferry over to Sausalito for great views of the city and a chill vibe.

Adagio – Simple and good value. In Union Square. In the center of town, so everything is a short cab ride away. Neighborhood isn't great

Huntington Hotel – Beautiful on Nob Hill.

The Clift – A bit too cool, but the Redwood Room is historic for late night country club cocktails.

Foodie Finds

Zushi Puzzle – atmosphere isn’t great. But see Roger, the best sushi chef in town, for Kobe Beef Surprise and the best cuts of raw fish.

Foreign Cinema - This is a special treat. They place French films outside. Great food and service and you won't find anywhere else like it.

Slanted Door – A big restaurant in the Ferry Building, so sit at a table on the water. Delicious, high-end Vietnamese. Also try OTD on Filmore Street.

Chez Panisse - Why not go to Alice Water's famous restaurant while you are here? Organic and picked or caught that day.

Delfina – The best little foodie spot. Get the salad with pancetta. In the heart of some of my favorite Mission foodie places – Bi Rite, Limon, Tartine Bakery.

Misses

Weather – pack layers… Mark Twain was right, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”

Late Nights – This is no New York. You have to search for a great place late night.

Homeless – I couldn’t believe it when I went back and stayed in Union Square. It is so sad.

Fisherman’s Wharf – Skip it. So commercial and there are so many other great things to do. The only reason I would go is to catch a ferry to Sausalito, Angel Island or Alcatraz.

Beaches – They are beautiful, but such a tease. Frigid water.

Tips

Sit at the bar – If you want to learn about wine or get the best cut of toro, then sit at the bar and chat up the sushi chef or bartender

Don’t rent a car – Take cabs and only rent a car to get out of the city.

Get outside the city – The city becomes truly the best in the world only if you get to hike in Marin, have Coronas in Tiburon or rent bikes in wine country.

Hoof it – Like Paris, the best way to see this city is just to stroll through the neighborhoods. Walk in Jack Keroc’s footsteps through North Beach. The city is only 7 miles wide and deep. You can get to know it fast.

Tales of the City – A fun read by Armistead Maupin that chronicles a group of friends living in Russian Hill. The flavor of the city hasn’t changed.